Sole-leveling machine



w. c. BAXTER.

SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, 1 920.

7, 1922* SHEET l.

I L irfzy W. C. BAXTER.

SOLE LEVEUNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED 00127. 1920.

1A34A24. Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. C. BAXTER. SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.27, 1920.

1,434,424, Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l6 4501mm W WW1 wa Patented Nov 7, 1922.

TTES ATET i lAMAZt F l l Q WILLIAM: G. BAXTEE, O1 BEVERLY,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGLTOE TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 01PATIERSGN, NEW JERSEY, A CORFOBALION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOLE-LEVELING MACHINE.

Application filed October 2'3, 1920. Serial No. 419,842.

To all w ham it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. Baxrnn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county ofEssex and State of ll lassachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sole-Leveling Machines; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to machines for operating upon the solesof boots and shoes, and more particularly to sole leveling machines ofthe type provided with a leveling roll and a shoe supporting jack whichis oscillated beneath the leveling roll, the roll being urged by aspring toward the ack to apply pressure to the sole of a shoe supportedon the jack. In sole leveling machines of this type at present ingeneral commercial use, the pressure of the leveling roll varies atdifferent portions of the sole, due to variations in the height of thesole, this variation in pressure being most pronounced when the machineis operating upon womens shoes having the so-called cottage shank with apeaked ball line. In fact with this type of shoe, in order to avoidexcessive pressure at the ball line which might break down and injurethe sole it is necessary to so adjust the pressure applying spring thatthe pressure on the remaining portions of the sole is generally toolight. In the patent to lVinkley, No. 610 314, dated September 26, 1899,a mechanism is illustrated and described which is designed to overcomesuch objectionable variation in the pressure ap plied by the levelingroll on the different portions of a sole by adjusting or varyingautomatically the tension of the pressure applying spring during a cycleof operations of the machine to compensate for the variations in theheight of the sole, so that a substantially uniform pressure may beapplied throughout the portion of the sole acted upon by the levelingdevice. In a mechanism, however, constructed in accordance with saidpatent, the degree or amount of such automatic adjustments of thepressure applying springs for each complete cycle is constantirrespective of the type of shoe being operated upon. so that while sucha mechanism is capable of properly regulating the pressure applied onone type of shoe it is not capable of properly regulating the pressureapplied on different types of shoes such as mens and womens shoes havingball lines of considerably different heights.

rliccordingly an object of the present invention is to provide means ina sole leveling machine for properly regulating the pres sure applied onthe sole of a shoe during the leveling operation irrespective of thetype of shoe being operated upon.

/Vith this object in view, a feature of the present inventioncontemplates the provision in a sole leveling machine having a soleleveling device, a shoe supporting ack, and mechanism comprisingpressure applying means for relatively actuating the leveling device andjack to level the sole of a shoe supported on the ack, of mechanismacting automatically to adjust said pressure applying means to regulatethe pressure applied on the sole, said automatic mechanism havingprovision for adjustment to regulate the range of pressure provided bysuch adjustment of said pressure applying means. Such provision foradjustment ofsaid automatic mechanism preferably enables the pressureapplying means to be so controlled as to apply a substantially uniformpressure on the different portions of the sole of a shoe that are actedupon by the leveling device irrespective of the type of shoe beingoperated upon. i

A sole leveling machine of the type to which the present inventionparticularly relates is usually provided with two shoe-supporting acksand sole leveling rolls, a separate pressure-applying springbeingassociated with each ack and roll. In the machine disolosed in saidpatent to /Vinkley, the mechanism for automatically varying the tensionof the pressure-applying springs to regulate the pressure applied on thesoles, as above described, comprises a separate cam and connections foreach spring, which duplication of parts results in the mechanism beingmore or less complicated, and, moreover, this mechanism has not beenfound to be entirely satisfactory in operation. i

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to simplify andimprove the construction and mode of operation of the mechanism, in soleleveling machines, for regulating the pressure applied. to a sole duringthe leveling operation.

lVith this object in view, a feature of the present inventioncontemplates the provision in a sole leveling machine having a pluralityof shoe-supporting jacks and cooperating ieveling rolls relativelymovable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of a shoe supported on ajack, and having pressure-applying mechanism, of a single cam andsuitable connections for regulating, during the operation of themachine, the pressure applied by each roll to the sole of a shoe. Thismechanism for regulating the pressure applied to a sole, as at presentconstructed, not only does away with the duplication of parts of saidpatented construction, but also is certain and reliable in operation.Except as defined in the claims, however, the features of the inventionare not limited to a machine employing a plurality of shoe supportingjacks and leveling rolls.

Other features of the invention consist in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

The several features of the invention will. be clearly understood fromthe following description and accompanyingdrawings in which z- V Figure1 is aside elevation of a sole leveling machine embodying the featuresin their preferred form; Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation, partly insection, of the leveling roll and its carrier and the mechanism forregulating' the pressure of the leveling roll; and Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation, with certain parts removed, taken on the line 8'3 of Fig. 2.i

The machine illustrated in the drawings is provided with a pair of shoesupporting acks 2, and a pair of vibrating leveling rolls 4. The shoesupporting jacks 2 are pivotally mounted at 6 on the frame of themachine and when thrown into operative position are oscillated either inunison or alternately, as desired, beneath the leveling rolls throughconnection with cams carried by the main cam shaft 8 of the machine. Thepair of vibrating leveling rolls 4 are mounted on independent carriers12 which in turn are mounted on carrier beds 14 which are fulcrumed at16 on the machine frame. The leveling rolls 4 are independently urgeddownwardly to apply pressure to the soles of the shoes supported on thejacks by means of coiled springs 18 which bear at their lower ends onthe forward portion of pressure levers 20 having their rear ends fulforcrumed on the frame and their forward ends connected by links 22 withthe carrier beds 14; Manually operable means is provided separatelyvarying the tension of the springs 18 to vary the amount of pressureapplied on the soles.

The parts above described may be and preferably are the same, except ashereinafter described, as the corresponding parts of the machineillustrated and described in the patent to Baxter No. 1,208,895, datedSeptember 19, 1916, to which reference may be had for a full andcomplete description of these and other parts of the machine not fullydescribed herein.

Also, as in Baxters patented machine, in the machine illustrated in thedrawings the manually operable means for separately varying the tensionof the coiled springs 18 to vary the amount of pressure applied on thesoles comprises abutment blocks 24 for the upper ends of the springs 18,which blocks are mounted on the lower ends of adjusting screws 26mounted in bearings 28. The bearings 28 constitute extensions of theupper ends of casings 30 that enclose the springs, and the bearings andcasings are formed on brackets 31 secured to the frame. A hand wheel 32is secured to the upper end. of each screw 26 for turning the screw tovary the tension of a spring 18.

The illustrated machine is also PI'OViflGCl with means comprising asingle cam and suitable connections for simultaneously adjusting thetension of both of the coiled springs 18 to regulate the pressureapplied by the leveling rolls on the soles during a cycleof operations,so as to compensate for variations in the l'ieights of differentportions of each sole that is operated upon. To this end, the screws 26are axially threaded through sleeves 33 which are mounted forlongitudinal movement in the bearings 28 and their longitudinalpositions are con.- trolled to regulate the tensions of the springs 18by a single cam 34 carried by the main cam shaft 8. The connectionbetween the sleeves 33 and the cam comprises a pair of arms 36 securedto a rock shaft 38 having its ends journaled in bearings at the upperends of the brackets 31. The free ends of the arms 36 are forked toengage shoulders 40 formed on the sleeves. To prevent the sleeves fromturning in their bearings the portions of the sides thereof that engagethe forked ends of the arms are flattened. An actuating arm 42 issecured to the rock shaft substantially midway between its ends. A link44 is pivo-tally connected at one end with the free end of the arm 42and is pivotally connected at its other end with a pin 46 which. asshown in full lines in Fig. 2, is secured in an aperture in the forwardend of an arm 48 having its rear end pivotally mounted on a shaft 50which is mounted at its ends in the brackets 31. The upper end of a link52 is pivotally connected with the arm 48 between its ends, and thelower end of the link 52 is forked to embrace the cam shaft 8 and isprovided with a cam roll 54 that engages the periphery of the cam 34.

vZOO

i se-s24 to rriis, the :toreoart oi v e levelii l o.

J of the shoe 1. ateo. I e s, leveling roli, as shown in in l 1"? ies ofde- 6 of one the 41 outinents noted 1" .vo rinsed eun'i rol 2s, that, 2upon by t or; :1 g the corn roll to depress the i 1 outs an acted uponl/ tions (30 Will on the spring! ah the levelin if) of moon The dixteises that the f-iO'fJI shutnients are thus raised and lowered eorre- 1ythe variations-, in the i portions oi? the soles one sited upon, so thatthe 1 Jlylirgg red cousmii the re veling opemtioi irrespective otetioiis in the l'ieigl I 4 ercin; portions oi the soles, resultir theleveling; roils applying 2L substantieli unit pressure throughout theportion oi soles noted upon. it only, however, be desirable in somecases to vary the pressure applied by the l veling: rolls upon certainportions of the sole, and this obviously may be accomplished bychanging; the design of the ems '1 he illustmted ma chine hos provisionfor varying the degree of adjustment of the pressure applying: spri s 18by the a tion of the earn 34 so the pressure exerted by the levelingrolls during acycle of operations may be properly regulated for bothmens and Womens shoes lifivino' boll lines of. different heights. Tothis e o tl e pivotal connection of the link 4145. Witl the arm 48 isadapted to be cho-ucid from. :1 position at the forward end. ot the armas she full lines in Fig. 2, to of position rock shaft 50 herein showneen rock shaft 50 and 1e oii mini 48 and seemed in an overture in thearm. It will be apparent thet when the pivotal connection between thelinl: ,4-

arm #18 is located at the torxverd end of the arm there will be maximumamount of variation in the pressure exerted by the leveling: rolls onthe soles during; a cycle of operations so that such adjustment oi": theli. K parti ularly adopts the machine to op rate upon shoes having ahigh ball line. When the pivotal connection between the lie and the arm-18 is adjusted to the position indicated by broken lines in 2 thedegree of variation in the pressure exerted by the rolls during: a cycleof operations will be decreased, thereby particularly adapting; the

machine to operate upon shoes 10W bell line,

The variation in by the machine is inderc ores-sure accomplished be moreclearly snelyticailyn The sprinc' is proportional. to the of: i beenshortened from its normal i which we wi l call. L. Let us represent byif its length When the rolls r l1 vsi' c produces :1 1 yclic variationin the loo gth, su h variation liming}; arithmetic rather thannetric-thei additive (or subtractive) s stive. According to theillustrated construction this variation is a tein number or inches or"shortening at any instant, irrespective of the value of L ive in cell(t), a function of the time measured from the beginning; of an opera-The force of the spring in the lVinlo machine of Patent blot 61 314 mayi-oretore be represented by resented by LL +A-f(t).

in the preceding; discussion it has been tacitly assumed that the liIilI20 did not move, \vh rees some change in the length of thespringactually results from its movemen is change is relatively smelland is likewise a cyclic t ction of the time, We in ey cell it andrepresent the force exerted by t spring as Here the changes in lengthintroduced by the variations in 11-11 and by t) can be made smell incomparison to 7;), so that the range of variation in pressure is itself?variable over for Wider li -its by the aid of the present invention thanit was ind r prior practice end it force one" A p Also it should beTlOtlCG-Tl that the varying o1 L-L by the handle, which could beproduced in the Vii chine iveli in the herein iiuistreted one, effectschange in range of pressure at ell but only shifts the whole oi pressurealone the scale. With the machine oil the present invention the rangecan be eltere;- Within Wide limits without changing" the minimumpressure at all, and in addition, the variations secured by prior H19.-ehines are available, if desired.

While the features described above are Well adapted for use in a soleleveling; 1113: chine of the type illustrated in the drawings,

it is to be understood that, except as defined in the claims, certainfeatures of the invention are not limited to use in a sole levelingmachine of this type.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated andmachine embodying the several features of the invention in theirpreferred form having been specifically described, What is claimed is 1.A sole leveling machine having, in com bination, a plurality of shoesupporting jacks and cooperating leveling rolls rehatively movable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of shoe supported on a jaclr, pressure applying mechanism, and a single cam and suitable connections forregulating, during the operation of the machine, the pres sure appliedby each roll to the sole ot a shoe.

2. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a plurality of shoesupporti g jacks and cooperating leveling rolls relatively movable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of a shoe supported on a jack,pressure applying mechanism associated with each jack and roll, and asingle cam and suitable connections for regulating, during the operationof the machine, the action of all of said pressure applying mechanisms.

3. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a plurality of shoesupporting jacks and cooperating leveling rolls relatively movable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of a shoe supported on a jack, apressure applying spring associated with each jack and roll a singlecam, and means actuated by the cam for regulating the tension or" allor" the springs during the operation oi? the machine.

4. A sole leveling machine having, in conibination, a plurality of shoesupporting jacks and cooperating leveling rolls relatively movable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of a shoe supported on a jack, apressure applying spring associated with each jack and roll, a rockshaft, and means actuated by the rock shaft for simultaneouslyregulating the tension of all of the springs during the operation of themachine.

5. A sole leveling machine having, combination, a sole leveling roll anda shoe supporting jack relatively movable to cause the roll to travelover the sole of a shoe supported on the jack, pressure applying meansand mechanism acting automatically to adjust said pressure applyingmeans to regulate the pressure applied on the sole, said automaticmechanism being constructed and arranged for adjustment to regulate thedegree of such adjustment of said pressure applying means.

6. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a plurality of shoesupporting jacks and cooperating leveling rolls relatively movable tocause a roll to travel over the sole of a shoe sup orted on a jaclr, prsure applying devic associated jack and roll, and mechanism actingautomatically to adjust simultaneously said pres sure applying devicesto regulate the sure applied on the soles, said automa c mechanism beingconstructed and arranged for adjustment to regulate the deg ea or" suchadjustments 0t said pressureapplying de vices.

7. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a sole leveling rolland shoe supporting jack, relatively movable to cause the roll to travelover the sole of a shoe supported on the jack, a pressure appl *ingspring, and mechanism act g autom 'cally to adjust the tension of: saidspring during a cycle or" operations or" the machine, said mechanismbeing constructed and arranged tor adjustment to vary the degree suchadjustment of the spring.

8. sole leveling machine having, in combination, a sole leveling roll, ashoe supporting jack, means for relatively actuating the P e ii levelingroll and jack to level the sole of a shoe supported on the jackcomprising a roll, a pressure lever, a link connecting one end of thelever and the roll, a spring connected with the lever and arranged topress the roll into engagement with the sole of a shoe supported on thejack, and means acting automatically during the operation o? the machineto vary the tension or said spring, said means being constructed andarranged for adjustment to vary the range .7

or the said variation of the tension.

A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a soleleveling device, ashoe supporting aclr, means for pressing the leveling device intoengagement- With the sole ot a shoe supported on the jacl: comprising apressure applying lever, connections between the lever and. said device,a spring having one end engaging the lever, an abut-- ment for the otherend ot the spring, and means acting auton'iatically during the operationthe machine to adjust the abutment to regulate the tension of thespring.

10. A sole leveling machine having, in

combination, a shoe supporting jack, a sole leveling device, means forrelatively actuating the jack and leveling device to level the sole of ashoe supported on the jack comprising a pressure applying spring, asleeve longitudinally movable, a revv axially threaded through thesleeve, an abutment on one end of the screw for one end of the spring,means for turning the screw to vary the tension of the spring, and meansfor moving the sleeve longitudinally to vary the tension of the spring.

11. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a shoe supportingjack, a sole leveling device, and mechanism comprising pressure applyingmeans for relatively actuating the jack and leveling device to level thesole of a shoe supported on the jack, a cam, and connections between thecam and pressure applying means to adjust the pressure applying means tovary the pressure applied on the sole, said connections beingconstructed and arranged for adjustment to regulate the range of suchvariation of said pressure.

12. A sole leveling machine having in combination, a shoe supportingjack, a sole leveling device, and mechanism comprising avariable-pressure applying means for relatively actuating the jack andleveling device to level the sole of a shoe supported on the jack, saidvariable-pressure applying means being constructed and arranged foradjustment to adapt the range of variation of the pressure to the needsof the shoe being leveled.

13. A sole leveling machine having, in combination, a shoe supportingjack, a sole leveling device, and mechanism comprising variable-pressureapplying means for relatively actuating the jack and leveling device tolevel the sole of a shoe supported on the jack, said variable-pressureapplying means being constructed and arranged for adjustment to lift ordepress the entire range of pressure exerted by the pressure applyingmeans and also to alter the range itself WILLIAM C. BAXTEB.

